It’s a perennial look, but denim has often been overlooked in favour of its showier cousins: it’s hard to out-dazzle sequins and diamante, but this summer, denim’s got its mojo back, and then some.

Denim was in evidence on several runways for Spring / Summer 2010, including Stella McCartney, Chloe, D&G and particularly Ralph Lauren. This all-American classic got a European makeover from Chloe, who went back to the 1970’s, and Stella McCartney did sexy-Seventies with a button-down skirt that rethinks the denim mini for the Boden generation.

Whatever form it appeared in, the theme for denim this year was reworked classics. Waistcoats, jackets, even dungarees were all revisited. But the favoured look was distressed fabric, nothing too tidy or finished.

Post-recession, this season has seen a return to natural textures and colours. It’s very much an antidote to last season’s obsession with sequins and bedazzle. The fashion world charmed us last winter with sparkle, now it’s time for something with more substance. In short, it’s time to ditch the Vuitton bunny ears and get real.

This summer is about real-life detail like hands-free leather satchels. Let the Chloe girl be your muse for the summer: care-free and low-key. In recent times, fashion’s been all about the add-on: this summer, however, is about keeping everything relaxed and easy to wear.

The rules are so relaxed that even the ‘denim tuxedo’ is making a comeback: not so long ago pairing a denim jacket with matching jeans meant only one thing – your name was Britney Spears and your date for the 2001 American Music Awards was Justin Timberlake. Britney’s flirtation with made-to-measure flew in the face of everything denim stands for, and that was the main reason it didn’t work.

This time around, matching denim is done by pairing pieces that look like they’ve spent several decades sharing wardrobe space together. If the shirt and jeans don’t look like old friends, it won’t work. Think casual, pared-back and effortless cool. Team the look with flat, leather sandals and a tan satchel slung across the body and it’s the look you thought you’d never be able to wear made possible. Denim works best when it’s frayed around the edges. It’s all in the styling.

Denim provides a hit of pure Americana: it’s as much a part of the country’s cultural heritage as Mickey Mouse and Coca-Cola. But more than that, denim has been the go-to fabric for generations who wanted to be comfortable, but still have an element of style. Nothing does this faster than a pair of jeans.

Ralph Lauren’s entire collection paid homage to the history of denim, in particular referencing 1930’s dustbowl America, with flat-caps and battered jeans that looked like hand-me-downs. The result was a thoughtful take on why denim has remained so popular: its enduring appeal is very straightforward – it’s a style leveller. Rich or poor, everyone owns, or has owned, an item of clothing in denim. It’s the ultimate in fashion democracy: a style superstar that everybody can own? No other fabric comes close to achieving this. More than ever, we’re realising that style isn’t reliant on the state of your bank balance. Real style comes from the confidence to mix things up and not be afraid to take chances, and denim is a brilliant way to experiment.

Prepare to see denim en masse in your high-street, and there aren’t any specific rules about cut or colour: indigo or faded, boyfriend or straight-cut, all denim has a free pass this summer so take advantage of it.

When it comes to contemporary fashion, we do have a tendency to over-think the process: from hemlines to heel height, it can be a fashion minefield out there, and that’s even before you start drafting in trends like tribal.

Many of the designers have given us a timely reminder of what’s great about fashion: when it’s simple, it just works. No second-guessing your choices, denim is the original no-brainer. A good pair of jeans remains the fashion holy grail, but also think about its stable-mates: the skirt, the waistcoat, the shirt. You could also do worse than give in to the eternal charm of the denim jacket. Make it faded and cropped, pair with a floral dress that’s hanging around from last year, and you’re done.

This summer, leave the sweating to everyone else, and rediscover the effortless beauty of denim.

HELEN TOPE